Dawn is breaking on the morning of February 1, 2003 above West Texas. Suddenly the peace of the early morning is shattered by two loud bangs. The Space Shuttle Columbia is announcing its return home, causing sonic booms as it streaks across the sky at three times the speed of sound. The shuttle is speeding toward a Florida homecoming. But in an instant, onlookers below and controllers in Houston are stunned at what they see. Something has gone horribly wrong. The shuttle has broken up, vanished! Gone is its precious cargo of seven astronauts from around the world. Among them, Col. Ilan Ramon, Israel’s first Astronaut.

Also gone, an artifact that embodied the glory of the Shuttle’s mission and the despair of its demise: a tiny Torah scroll – smuggled into a concentration camp during the Holocaust; safeguarded by Joachim Joseph, a Holocaust survivor; and carried into space by Col. Ilan Ramon, the first Israeli astronaut. It is a unique story that interweaves the heights of scientific achievement, the depths of a nation’s cruelty, the private grief of a boy who came of age during the Holocaust, and the public mourning of many nations in the aftermath of the Columbia Shuttle disaster. To fulfill the promise that a boy in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp made during the Holocaust – to use the Torah scroll to tell the world what happened in the camp – comes AN ARTICLE OF HOPE, an hour-long film exploring the journey of the Torah from pre-World War II Europe, to Israel, and then to space. Combining historical and ethical inquiry, the film reaches across faiths and nationalities to tell a truly human story.

Joel Katzowitz

It will also be playing in Atlanta on Sunday, February 27, as part of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival.

For the past seven years, telling the story of the Torah scroll that made it into space has been a labor of love for Silver Spring resident Dan Cohen.

Cohen, a TV news producer turned documentarian, premiered last week his latest project, "An Article of Hope," the story of Israeli Astronaut Ilan Ramon, who took a Holocaust-era Torah scroll into space during the Shuttle Columbia's final and tragic trip.

DChudwin

The producers of this outstanding film about Ilan Ramon and the Torah he carried into space are using Kickstarter to raise the $50,000 more they need to prepare it for PBS and for classroom distribution. Information about making a donation can be found here.

Joel Katzowitz

I just reviewed an advance copy of "Space Shuttle Columbia: Mission of Hope" the inspirational story of Columbia Astronaut Ilan Ramon. This documentary will premier on PBS in conjunction with the 10th anniversary of the Shuttle disaster. It's directed by Daniel Cohen and produced by Christopher G. Cowen with executive producers Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman and Mark Herzog. The film airs on Thursday, January 31, 2013 at 9:00 PM ET on PBS.

The film tells several concurrent stories including detailing background information on Ramon; the history of the "tiny Torah scroll" he carried on the mission; and the bond that developed between one of the most diverse crews to fly a mission together.

I enjoyed the film and was definitely moved by it. But I attended the launch and share Ramon's faith so I could be biased.

space4u

Just a heads up that the documentary "Space Shuttle Columbia: Mission of Hope" about Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon airs on PBS on Thursday, Jan. 31 at 10 PM EST.

Editor's note: Threads merged.

sev8n

quote:Originally posted by space4u:Just a heads up that the documentary "Space Shuttle Columbia: Mission of Hope" about Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon airs on PBS on Thursday, Jan. 31 at 10 PM EST.

I'm not seeing this in my local listings (KERA 13, Dallas), can anyone confirm the airtime?

Joel Katzowitz

The air time seems to vary with location. In the Atlanta area it's slated for February 1. Check your local listing.

DChudwin

The television premiere is tonight on PBS in some localities. It is at 9 p.m. EST and 8 p.m. CST on many PBS stations. However, some stations are showing it on a different day or at a different time. Check the website for a list of channels.

This is a great documentary with the themes of teamwork, peace, remembrance and hope. Highly recommended!

dogcrew5369

Very well done documentary. I thoroughly enjoyed watching it. It inevitably made me sad as well. I did not know, or I forgot, that Steve McLean took anothe Torah up on 115 in honor of Ilan Ramon. A story come full circle. Nice.